It seems that the villain is targeting me.

She had to endure it no matter what. She wasn't completely out of danger yet, her father still had some use for her, and she could still—

"Gwyneth? Is that you?"

Just like a dream, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

She raised her head in a daze and felt a wet

Gwyneth covered her face with a cloth and subconsciously closed her eyelids. She felt something wiping on her cheek and smelled a hint of alcohol.

"I've been looking for you for a while," she heard Xiao Niao's voice and felt her breath as she got closer, "Don't move, let me see you first."

The face of the person holding the towel in front of her became clearer. Gwen felt a little pain in the left corner of her eye. She blinked hard, and the dark block in her vision suddenly disappeared.

Her face was covered with dust and blood, as if she had just gone down the mine to dig coal. If it weren't for the mark on her armor, Xiao Niao probably wouldn't have been able to recognize Gwyneth.

Xiao Niao was standing opposite Gwyneth at this time. He raised his left wing and gently shook it in front of her eyes - just like a normal person extending five fingers.

Shrike's face showed a hint of worry. She asked the girl in front of her seriously, "Can you see clearly? Are your eyes injured?"

"No," Gwyneth gasped softly. There was some blood in the corners of her eyes, and she looked a little scary. "I'm fine."

Xiao Niao looked her up and down: "Are you injured anywhere else? Did you get cut by a dirty knife? Don't hide even the smallest wound."

"No, I..." Gwen said a little slowly, "I'm not seriously injured..."

She was extremely tired from the fierce battle just now. She really didn't want to talk, and even her brain function became slow.

The sound of birds came dimly to her ears.

"General Banur is looking for you... at the main tent..."

"Your brother...both hands were slightly injured, but it's not serious. He should be able to recover..."

"You...Gwen..."

"Are you alright, Your Highness?"

Gwyneth suddenly came to her senses. Out of the corner of her eye, she felt the person in front of her tentatively extend his hand, as if trying to hold her shoulder.

Gwyneth reflexively reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Gwen immediately felt the muscles under her palm stiffen, as if they were not used to being touched - her fingertips touched the throbbing pulse on the inside of her wrist - the Shrike's skin seemed hotter than that of a normal person.

The wrist is so thin, Gwyneth thought drowsily, it seems like it could be broken easily.

Xiao Niao's face showed an expression of obvious patience.

Gwen came to her senses, hesitated, and slowly let go of her hand.

Xiao Niao quickly pulled his hand back and put it behind his back.

"I..." Gwyneth opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Your father is looking for you," Xiao Niao did not look angry. She spoke in a normal tone, but she did not look into Gwyneth's eyes. "He is over at the main tent. You'd better go there quickly."

Gwyneth felt vaguely uneasy. She noticed that Xiaoniao's wings, hidden under the arm guard, were a little puffy - all the fine down feathers were puffed up.

What would those feathers feel like, Gwyneth wondered absentmindedly.

Will it be plush, or smooth as silk?

But I think the Prime Minister of the Empire would not allow such inappropriate contact.

After all, that is the other party's flaw. Although Xiao Niao acts as if he doesn't care, he sometimes even deliberately shows his half-human characteristics in public to encourage his compatriots who are treated unfairly because of their half-human identity.

But that wing means she is incomplete after all. Xiao Niao's left hand can only do some simple things, and the fragile bones and joints of her wings mean that she is more vulnerable to injury than ordinary people.

How can we easily allow others to touch such defects and omissions?

I'm not anyone from Butcher, Gwyneth thought, we're just acquaintances, and beyond that, there's almost no connection between us.

What position and reason do I have to ask to touch Butcher's most hidden pain?

Gwyneth thought quietly, she was trying her best to convince herself, but she couldn't force herself to look away.

Her heart doesn't care what her head thinks.

Her heart was pounding.

Chapter 43: Unanimous Choice

"Gwen, you're back," Eric called her with surprise in his voice, "That's great, are you okay?"

Gwyneth forced a smile at her eldest brother and looked a little depressed.

"I heard you hurt your hand," Gwyneth perked up, "Is it serious?"

Eric raised his arm to her. His left hand was wrapped in clean gauze and had a fixed splint, while his right hand had only a minor injury and looked fine overall.

"It's just scary to watch," Eric explained to her. "When I was on the battlefield, the veterans around me were protecting me, and your help was especially timely. Gwen, you did a great job this time."

"Father is very happy. He's been sending people to look for you. He even asked Lord Butcher to have his medics keep an eye on you for any injuries," Eric asked. "Have you met Prime Minister Butcher's men? Did they examine you?"

Gwyneth responded vaguely, rubbing her fingertips and nodding subconsciously.

Eric didn't suspect anything wrong, he just thought his sister was tired.

"I'm glad you're not injured," he said, lifting the curtain at the main tent entrance. "Father needs to plan the next battle strategy. Just hold on for a while, and you'll be able to rest soon."

格温

Nise nodded and followed her brother into the main tent.

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The originally gloomy expression on General Banur's face eased a little - his face had not looked good since he learned about Prince Charles' rash action.

It wasn't until the strategy proposed by Gwyneth worked and good news came from the front that his expression eased a little.

Every few seconds, Banur would glance at the entrance of the tent, so when Gwen and Eric walked into the tent, he saw them at the first sight.

General Banur's anxious heart was completely at ease when his daughter appeared to be fine. He breathed a sigh of relief, but still maintained the dignity of a commander-in-chief.

As a father, Banur's heart was actually filled with a strong sense of pride, but the current severe situation made him remain serious. Banur restrained his desire for care and just nodded slightly to the two children.

"We're no longer at a disadvantage," General Banur said to the surrounding officers, "but the situation remains unclear. King Jialan's troops have retreated to the mountains again. He still has a lot of manpower left, making them very difficult to deal with."

In this offensive, almost all of King Jialan's infantry forces were destroyed by the imperial army. Some were killed or captured, and only a thousand or so people managed to escape.

The Jialan cavalry, which was the main offensive force, also suffered heavy casualties. The fleeing cavalry has now circled back to the mountain. Including the 1,000 cavalry that King Jialan left as a reserve, there are still about 3,000 cavalry left.

"Cavalry can't fight on a mountain. If we want to attack head-on, we'll have to send the infantry up there," Banur frowned deeply. "It's best not to resort to a head-on attack. Our casualties are already very grim."

King Jialan's defeat was actually doomed from the moment he lost his slave army. He still had 3,000 cavalrymen left, but these 3,000 cavalrymen would be destroyed no matter what if they fought alone without coordination.

The only problem is that if the 3,000 frenzied Jialan cavalrymen counterattacked before their death, they would still cause huge losses to the infantry phalanx - the Imperial Army would definitely win, but a lot of people would die.

General Banur cherishes the lives of his soldiers, and strategically he always prefers to preserve the strength of the army.

This is actually a good thing for grassroots officers and ordinary soldiers: they can afford to wait, and waiting a little longer can save a lot of lives, so the soldiers under them are very happy about it.

According to General Banur's original idea, he would order the army to blockade and besiege King Jialan's troops, and then wear down their troops when they were too hungry to have any strength, and then he would kill them in one fell swoop.

But now there is a variable that makes this idea fall through.

"Prince Charles may still be in the hands of the Jialan people," an officer in the main tent said. "We sent people to check the spears... but we didn't find the head of the eldest prince."

"The Jialan people might use this as a threat," an infantry commander said worriedly. "They might ask us to withdraw. They're running low on food. In two days at most, King Jialan will make a move."

"Should we consult His Majesty?" another person inquired. "This—this is a matter of great importance, and it's not easy for the general to give orders directly."

Gwyneth stood aside and felt uncomfortable listening: Yes, that's right, there was nothing wrong with father's order, it was the eldest prince's own reckless behavior that led him into the enemy's camp.

There is no need to think about it. Charles can only put the blame on himself. There is no reason to help him shirk responsibility.

But General Banur's next order may very well determine whether Charles can survive - he is the emperor's son, his biological son, his first biological son, not someone picked up on the street.

It is one thing for your own son to make a mistake, but it is another thing for him to lose his life.

Without the emperor's permission, no one dared to really say that they didn't care about the eldest prince's life or death.

Although many people's inner thoughts are to just let this idiot be dragged out and hacked to death by King Jialan, this cannot be said directly. It must be tactful and clever.

The situation was a bit deadlocked for a while, and everyone looked at the general sitting on the main seat, waiting for him to make the decision.

Everyone's idea was very simple: this is absolutely a thankless job, you are a high-ranking official, so you should speak.

The pressure was put on General Banur.

Banur: ...

The general sighed, there was nothing he could do.

He has to be responsible for the soldiers under his command. With so many lives entrusted to him, Banur has to be cautious. He has to take the soldiers back safely instead of letting countless young people be buried here.

He decided to be the bad guy himself - if Lawrence wanted to punish him, then so be it.

Gwyneth and Eric stood aside and listened, feeling a little depressed.

Among them, Eric, the eldest brother, could hardly hide the anger between his brows: he wished he could chop the bastard who acted on his own with his own hands!

Because of him, countless soldiers were sacrificed, and the carefully designed tactics had to be completely overturned. Now they even have to take unnecessary risks because of this stupid prince, and even their father may be implicated.

Just as General Banur was about to speak,

The curtain was opened again.

Xiao Niao walked into the tent.

The logistics corps was almost busy just now, so the bird looked a little tired.

Her eyes narrowed a little, and her amber pupils looked like some kind of delicate gem, but with a sharpness and hardness that could not be ignored.

Gwyneth's body shuddered, her back tensed.

"General, I've already sent someone to deliver the news back to the capital at full speed," Xiao Niao said calmly, looking at General Banur, who was sitting at the main seat. "In the letter, I explained the situation to His Majesty. I'm sure I'll get a reply from him soon."

"As for now, you may give orders without any hesitation."

Xiao Niao lowered his eyes and spoke in a firm tone.

"If Your Majesty blames me later, I will definitely stand with the general."

Chapter 44: It's normal for a son to look like his mother

From the moment Charles fell into the enemy camp, Xiao Niao's nerves became tense.

This was a terrible oversight for both her and the system - the death of the Son of Fortune would directly lead to the destruction of the world. In the few hours of the decisive battle, her years of hard work could be burned to ashes at any time.

It must be said that Prince Charles's miraculous operation not only almost killed the imperial army, but also basically cut off his own foundation.

He destroyed the most powerful knight order under the royal family and also offered his own head with both hands. Lawrence arranged and coordinated everything in such a way that he almost fed the meal to the eldest prince himself. This barbecued pork thing could create such a situation.

I guess King Jia Lan himself is also wondering, could this guy be an undercover agent sent by me? I don't have any records.

The only good news is that until now, Xiao Niao has not learned from the system that the mission has failed, and the army has not missed the opportunity to fight because of Charles' reckless behavior. It can be said that it is a blessing in disguise.

...Fortunately, Gwen was here this time. Xiao Niao secretly felt relieved. He didn't expect that she would have such quick wit in front of the battle.

Tongzi was right, Gwyneth was a natural cavalry general.

"Regardless, the Crown Prince is still alive, so our mission is still safe," the system felt a little relieved. "...The World Will will actively protect the Son of Fortune. He's most dangerous when he first falls into the hands of the enemy, but since he's not dead yet, he certainly won't die later."

Xiao Niao felt that these few hours of waiting were more anxious than the night he checked his college entrance examination scores.

All her energy was gone, and she complained listlessly to the system, "How can even a guy like this be considered the Son of Fortune? Is the will of the world blind?"

"Perhaps in the original worldline, the Crown Prince wouldn't have gone on a expedition at all," the system attempted to analyze. "This is the butterfly effect of your time travel."

Charles originally only needed to be a domineering prince who acted recklessly and had a tragic love affair with the heroine - but your arrival changed the original development process of the empire, and as a result, his growth trajectory was also changed.

Growth trajectory?

Xiao Niao imagined the eldest prince, who had been arrogant and domineering since childhood, growing up day by day, and from the self-centered Little Barbecued Pork to the foolish and cruel Big Barbecued Pork. He felt his stomach begin to ache again.

"As for why the world line is distorted, I think you can guess it," the system said coldly. "If someone like this sits in a high position, and any internal or external troubles arise, it will be the standard backdrop for natural disasters, man-made disasters, the destruction of the nation, and the extinction of the race."

We absolutely cannot let this guy ascend the throne, Xiao Niao thought expressionlessly. He's the next Landless King John! How unlucky must this country be to have to accept the rule of such an emperor.

"...He's the son of destiny anyway, so he won't die easily, right?" Xiao Niao said quietly, "As long as he doesn't die, that's all that matters, right?"

[That's right,] the system's voice sounded a bit cheerful, [We're thinking the same thing, bird.]

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